Saturday, May 9

Two or three years ago, FBRN recognized that we had taken in a dog that was not going to be eligible for adoption, because she had a chronic condition. Her name is Pixie, and much to our surprise, she is still going strong.

Betty cuddles up to her sister Lilly.

Pixie was the first of the fosters we called "hospice" dogs, and since her arrival, we have taken in several more. We didn't know that these dogs were going to be so sick when they were surrendered to us, but it would not have made a difference, really. We are here for French bulldogs who need us, and one of our remarkable foster families will always step forward to love and care for these dogs with grim prognoses.

Here is a note from one of our foster moms. She and her husband care for Betty, an elderly girl who was surrendered last summer by her owner. She is beginning to show signs of canine dementia, and we are looking into a drug to treat that condition called Anipryl.

"Betty came to our house 8/10/08, she is blind, deaf and 13 years old with a true go getter attitude! At first she would just stand there, and look in each direction, take a few steps forward then stand again, but in a few days she was walking all over the place. This prompted the barricade, a low fence across our whole back yard so she could not get under the cars. This lasted a few days, then she was over that no problem.

Here she is before her self given wart removal surgery! This little growth on her eyelid just popped right off when she rubbed it.

Again,we were amazed that the blind dog is "hopping the barricade". I feel that it took about 3 months for her to get really comfortable living here. She is not house trained, so we can go a week no accidents, then we can have accidents everyday. I have to say I have never done this much laundry in my life!

She loves to eat, and also like the peanut butter kong in the evening. We try to be very consistent, everyday the same routine. She has always done the circling, but in the last few days she has started really tight circles, then sit/falls down and can't seem to get her self up, then she will just get up and go straight. She is very determined... and when she runs into something she thinks she can push it out of the way. This has led to the small sore on the top of her head. We clean it all the time with peroxide and then put a little panalog ointment on it. She likes to have her face washed and her eyes cleaned. She does not like to have a bath at all! A peanut butter Kong before her nap is part of Betty's daily routine

She is also a little more disoriented as of late, corners have become issue and can't get herself out of them. She also doesn't stand to eat any more, she likes to lay down. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that within these last few days she has slowed down a lot. We feel she is doing what a dog of her age should be doing. We are keeping her loved, full, and comfortable. Until there are significant changes in her health, we are happy to have her as part of our family!

Resting after a tasty (but messy) peanut butter Kong

Our sponsors, donors, supporters and folks who buy products from our shopping mall make it possible for us to provide veterinary care for our hospice dogs. We are proud to be able to do this for our dogs and very grateful to the loving and compassionate foster families who volunteer to take these Frenchies.

We believe that a dog with a good quality of life, no pain, and a loving family should live out her days in comfort and peace. We hope you agree.

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Right on, FP! It can be such a blessing, giving a final home to an aged &/or disabled dog! A few years ago, I brought home from the pound an elderly, one-eyed Peke, because I feared she would not get adopted (& we know the alternative!) This little old lady, our "Una," lived for over 2 more years, and was quite the character. When she left us, the house actually felt emptier, because her personality was so large, even in her old age! She was blind in the eye she still had, almost deaf, and moved very slowly, slept a lot. But I would not have given up the experience of knowing her! God bless all the hospice volunteers!

it is the most amazing thing to take in the unadoptables. was the old age home for the pug rescue here for many years and became known as "Shady Pugs". The love that you get from them is the most wonderful thing you could ever imagine! Keep up the fantastic work and kiss all the frenchies, especially the old ones, for me!

Thank you to all the angels in FBRN for taking care of the old and sick ones that others would give up on. I could never make the sacrifices and experience the heartache these hospice homes go through, but I will try to increase my monthly donation soon to help with the costs.